US Health Care Costs

Penn State Health St. Joseph

2500 Bernville Road, Reading, PA 19605 · (610) 378-2000

General hospitalVoluntary non-profit - PrivateEmergency roomCMS rating ★★★★★

The money

$19what care cost the hospital for every $100 it billed
$27.7Mnet income, all sources
4.5%margin on patient care alone
$6.1Mcost of charity care (2.2% of costs)
$19.4Munpaid bills written off (bad debt)
163beds

From the hospital's Medicare cost report for the year ending June 2025. Non-profit hospitals must have a financial assistance (charity care) policy; ask for it if a bill is hard to pay.

Hospital stays

Medicare figures are 2024 averages for this hospital; the bars show how much of the bill was actually paid.

Billed (list price)Actually paid (Medicare + patient)

StayMedicare staysBilledPaid
Heart failure, with major complications 291184$47,457$10,887
Sepsis, with major complications 871142$68,489$15,604
Sepsis 87254$36,885$8,355
Stomach or intestinal bleeding, with complications 37853$56,801$8,345
Urinary tract infection 69047$26,735$6,859
COPD, with major complications 19043$40,581$9,546
Stomach and digestive disorders 39242$32,408$7,110
Skin infection (cellulitis) 60342$30,298$7,513
Respiratory failure 18937$51,639$10,609
Lung infection, with major complications 17736$59,980$13,521
Dehydration and electrolyte problems 64136$28,268$6,791
Pneumonia, with major complications 19331$63,070$11,826
Heart catheterization 28728$46,923$9,227
Heart stent 32227$128,579$18,188
Heart valve replacement through a catheter (TAVR) 26726$178,257$36,864
Fainting 31226$35,587$7,123
Urinary tract infection, with major complications 68926$45,644$9,932
Stroke, with complications or clot-busting drug 06525$55,648$8,705
Pneumonia, with complications 19425$31,824$7,034
Heart procedure through a catheter (e.g. ablation, valve clip) 27424$144,222$24,683
Heart attack, with major complications 28024$66,572$13,053
Irregular heartbeat, with complications 30923$30,422$6,475
Kidney failure, with major complications 68221$85,378$14,373
Kidney failure, with complications 68321$38,145$7,809
Heart catheterization, with major complications 28619$94,400$17,799
Irregular heartbeat 31016$24,440$4,958
Heart stent, with major complications or 4+ stents 32116$206,100$27,414
Stomach or intestinal bleeding, with major complications 37716$101,039$14,089
Infection needing surgery, with major complications 85315$169,020$35,963
Stroke, with major complications 06414$69,237$14,602
High blood pressure 30513$25,660$7,066
Back problems (no surgery) 55213$33,679$8,309
Signs and Symptoms of Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue Without Mcc 55613$23,713$7,059
Pulmonary Embolism with Mcc or Acute Cor Pulmonale 17512$49,797$11,496
Bronchitis and Asthma with Cc/Mcc 20212$33,686$8,169
Irregular heartbeat, with major complications 30812$35,800$9,865
Hip or thigh bone surgery (not replacement), with complications 48112$76,758$16,435
Heart attack, with complications 28111$56,059$7,746
Cellulitis with Mcc 60211$54,033$11,908
Diabetes, with complications 63811$37,247$7,858
Kidney and Ureter Procedures for Non-Neoplasm with Cc 66011$74,895$11,071
Anemia and blood disorders 81211$54,313$7,816

Cash and insurer prices for this hospital haven't been added yet. Every US hospital must publish them; search the hospital's website for "price transparency" or "standard charges".